Single-Use-Body Washing System

ABSTRACT

A body washing system provides an integrated single-use package co-locating a moist towelette and a dry towelette; the latter sized and design to permit drying of an individual after applying the moist towelette to their body in a washing process. The compact size and availability of the dried towelette substantially increases at the availability of bathing systems to individuals to whom conventional bathing or showering is inaccessible.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a divisional application of U.S. Ser. No. 13/031,307filed Feb. 21, 2011 and hereby incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for bodycleansing when conventional bathing facilities are not available orpractical.

Active individuals, for example, those commuting to work by jogging orusing a bicycle, are often hampered by the lack of shower or bathingfacilities at their destination. Individuals involved in outdooractivities such as a picnic or beach going, may have a need to freshenup before a subsequent party or social gathering. Travelers andespecially business travelers taking extended trips to meet with clientsor business associates may face a similar dilemma.

Large area pre-moistened towelettes (for example 2′×4′) in single-usefoil packages are generally known in the art for campers or the like whodo, not have access to plumbing. Such wipes are relatively bulky, andare an imperfect solution to those who may not have the luxury of timefor substantial air-drying outdoors, or access to a separate dry towelor clothing, or a clean or private space in which to wash. Somepre-moistened towelettes incorporate substantial alcohol content intothe moistening material to promote rapid drying. High proportions ofalcohol may not be practical for a body washing system where large areasof skin will be moistened.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present inventor has recognized that the simple co-location of a drytowelette with a moist towelette in a single-use package cansubstantially increase the accessibility of a single-use body washingsystem to active individuals. By providing a dry towelette properlysized to provide a substantially complete drying of the individual afteruse of the moist towelette, the area washed and the amount of moistureused in the bathing process can be substantially increased toapproximate more closely an actual bath or shower. Additional toiletryitems can be incorporated in an analogous manner.

Specifically then, the present invention provides a body washing systemhaving a moist towelette sealed in a first moisture impervious packageopenable by tearing the packaging material of the first package, thefirst moisture impervious package attached to a second moistureimpervious package openable by tearing the packaging material of thesecond package and holding a dry towelette therein.

It is thus a feature of at least one embodiment of the invention toprovide an integrated package providing a bathing experiencecommensurate with being able apply sufficient moisture to large enougharea of the body requiring subsequent moisture removal by a towelette.It is another feature of a least one embodiment of the invention toprovide a system that is lightweight and sufficiently convenient to bepractically available to individuals in a variety of situations.

The first and second moisture impervious packages may be joined by acommon seam in packaging material extending between the first and secondpackages.

It is thus a feature of at least one embodiment of the invention toprovide a packaging system that may make use of well-establishedpackaging technologies.

The seam may be perforated.

It is thus a feature of at least one embodiment of the invention topermit the user the option of separating the packages for moreconvenient access.

The seam may include a tear notch promoting tearing of the material ofthe first and second packages at the tear notch.

It is thus a feature of at least one embodiment of the invention topresent a tear notch that promotes a logical sequential opening of thepackages in order of use.

The body washing system of claim 1 wherein the material is heat-sealablepolymer and foil laminate.

It is thus a feature of at least one embodiment of the invention toprovide easily openable packaging that preserves the hygienic qualitiesof the bathing materials.

The moist and dry towelettes have may have an area greater than 300square centimeters.

It is thus a feature of at least one embodiment of the invention toprovided body cleaning system suitable for full body bathing.

The moist and dry towelette may be nonwoven.

It is thus a feature of at least one embodiment of the invention toproviding material that has suitable strength for cleaning and thatprovides significant capillary adsorption capabilities for both holdinga moistening liquid and removing the same.

The first package may have indicia indicating moisture and the secondpackage has indicia indicating dryness.

It is thus a feature of at least one embodiment of the invention to bothinform the consumer of the nature of the product while providingguidance as to the contained elements. This specificity of labeling ispossible by packaging each towelette in separate outer package material.

The first and second moisture impervious packages may be joined at acommon sealed edge of shared material and folded over each other alongthe common sealed edge to bring opposed edges of each package displacedfrom the common edge together in attachment.

It is thus a feature of at least one embodiment of the invention toprovide a compact, single-use wet/dry product without the need forspecial or bulky container design

The attachment of the opposed edges may be by means of an adhesiveapplied to the packaging such as a thermoplastic space-filling adhesive.

It is thus a feature of at least one embodiment of the invention toprovide a simple method of producing a dual compartment package usingconventional heat-sealed pouches suitable for mass production withcurrent technologies.

The body washing system may include one or more additional moistureimpervious packages releasably attached to one of the first and secondmoisture impervious packages and holding a third towelette supporting amaterial different from moistening materials of the first towelette.

It is thus a feature of at least one embodiment of the invention toprovide a more complete body washing experience by co-locating materialselected from the group consisting of: sunscreen, insect repellent,deodorant, anti-perspirant, and hair conditioner.

The body washing system may further include a hang-tag attached to atleast one of the first and second packages providing a hole forsuspending the package on a peg.

It is thus a feature of at least one embodiment of the invention topermit improved retail display and/or use of the product when cleancounter space is unavailable.

The second package may contain a third moisture impervious package.

It is thus a feature of at least one embodiment of the invention topermit other toiletry items to be incorporated into the packages toprovide for improved co-location of products. It is a further object ofthe invention to permit co-location of other types of products neededduring bathing such as gels, creams or lozenges.

These particular features and advantages may apply to only someembodiments falling within the claims and thus do not define the scopeof the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 a is a front elevational view of a combined package holding a dryand pre-moistened towelette per the present invention;

FIG. 1 b is a cross-sectional view along, line 1 b-1 b of FIG. 1 ashowing the dry and pre-moistened towelette inside the packages;

FIG. 2 is a detailed fragmentary view of FIG. 1 showing a tear notchlocated in the seam between the two packages to permit consistent teardirection and/or to promote a particular ordering of package opening;

FIG. 3 a is an front elevational view of an alternative embodiment ofthe invention providing a hang-tag and shown in an open state andfurther showing an orientation of adjacent blanks for cutting thematerial of the packaging;

FIG. 3 b is a figure similar to that of FIG. 3 a showing a folding ofthe package of FIG. 3 a for hang-tag display or use;

FIG. 4 is an front elevational view of an alternative embodiment of thepresent invention providing for additional toiletry items in separateco-located pouches;

FIG. 5 is a front elevational of view of an alternative embodimentproviding vertical rather than side-to-side orientation of the differentpackages and showing incorporation of two dry elements in a secondpouch;

FIG. 6 is a figure similar to that of FIG. 5 showing an alternativearrangement of four packages; and

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary detail of FIG. 1 a showing incorporation of asealed package within one package.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring now to FIG. 1, a body washing system 10 may provideside-by-side tear-packets 12 and 14 joined at a common edge 16. Thecommon edge 16 may have a perforation 19 extending only partially alongthe length of the common edge 16 between the packets 12 and 14, as willbe described below, or fully along common edge 16 to permit completeseparation of the packets 12 and 14.

Referring also to FIG. 1 b, tear packet 12 and 14 may comprise a frontand rear sheet 15 and 17 sealed around a periphery 18 (for example, byheat sealing which fuses the materials or by adhesives). Each periphery18 defines a rectangular inner compartment 25 each holding a towelette24 as will be described below. The front and rear sheet 15 and 17 may,for example, be a laminated polymer and foil material(polymer/foil/polymer) to provide for protection from the environment, aoutward printable surface, light and moisture imperviousness, andthermal fusing of the periphery 18.

The packets 12 and 14 may be positioned side-by-side abutting at theirlongest edges with their peripheries 18 joined at a common edge 16 toprovide a continuation of the sheets 15 and 17 between the packets 12and 14.

One or both of the front or rear sheet 15 and 17 sheets of the packets12 and 14 may be printed, for example, with product identificationinformation and indicia 20 and 21 indicating the function of a containedtowelette 24 within the packets 12 and 14. Preferably, indicia 20indicate moisture or washing while indicia 21 indicate dryness ordrying, for example, as expressed by colors (cool versus warm colors)and/or symbology (water spray versus dry towel on a towel rod).

Referring also to FIG. 2, packet 12 may contain a moisture impregnatedtowelette 24 of a material of the type known in the art, for example, anonwoven material having an area preferably about 9″×11.5″ and generallygreater than 7″×7″ (about 300 square centimeters) and less than 24″×24″in area (about 3600 square centimeters). The towelette 24 may be foldedto fit within the dimensions of the packet 12 or 14 having an internalpocket dimension of about 2″×4″.

The towelette 24 in packet 12 maybe pre-moistened with a combination ofwater, surfactant, and small amounts of alcohol to provide for cleaningof the whole body. In one example, the towelette 24 may be pre-moistenedwith a combination of water, aloe vera, glycerin, sodium cocoPG-dimonium chloride phosphate, polyoxyethylene sorbitan monolaurate,urea (2,5-dioxo-4-imidazolidinyl), DMDM hydantoin, benzylammoniumchloride, ethanol, and vitamin E.

In addition, the towelette 24 made include menthol or similar compoundsto promote a sensory cooling of the individual to reduce perspiration.The size of the towelette 24 will be sufficient to provide adequatemoisture and cleaning material to permit washing an individual's entirebody.

The packet 14 may include a nonwoven absorbing towelette 26, possiblybut not necessarily, of the same material as towelette 24, having anarea sufficient to dry the expected moisture remaining on the skin afteruse of the towelette 24 in packet 12 accounting for some evaporation. Inthis regard, the towelette 24 in packet 14 is dry without thepre-moistening. Generally, the towelette 24 in packet 14 will have anarea identical to that of the towelette 24 in packet 12 formanufacturing convenience. Again, towelette 26 may be folded to fitwithin the packet 14 of similar size to packet 12. Because the towelette24 is dry, desiccant materials such as antiperspirants may be includedon the towelette 26. Before packaging, the dry towelette 26 may bestored in reduced humidity to provide additional absorbing capabilities.In an alternative embodiment, the dry towelette 26 may be lightlymoistened with a hydrophilic material such as alcohol without water toassist in the drying process.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the outer periphery 18 of the packet 12 mayinclude a starting cut or tear notch 29 to assist the user in tearingopen the packet 12. A corresponding notch 29 may be placed spanning orabutting the common edge 16 between the packets 12 and 14 to beaccessible as indicated in FIG. 2 only after opening of the packet 12 topromote proper opening order of the towelettes 24 and 26. In oneembodiment the perforation 19 extends inward only as far as the tearnotch 29 to hold the packets 12 and 14 together for unitary disposal.

Referring now to FIG. 3 a, in an alternative embodiment, or any of theembodiments described herein, a hang-tag 30 may be attached at the upperperiphery 18 of one or both of the packets 12 and 14 (shown onlyattached to packet 12 in FIG. 3 a). The hang-tag 30 may have an outerperiphery 18 of sealed material and may include a central aperture 31for receiving a peg on a retail display.

An adhesive 32, for example, a thermoplastic, space-filling, high-tackadhesive, may be placed on the front of packet 14 which may be foldedalong the common edge 16 between packets 12 and 14, as shown by arrow34, so that the adhesive 32 on the front of packet 14 also contacts thefront of packet 12 holding them together as shown in FIG. 3 b. In thisfolded configuration, the center of gravity of the package is centeredbeneath the aperture 31 for proper hanging. In this case both of indicia20 and/or 21 may be printed on the rear face of packet 14 (as orientedper FIG. 3 a) or separate indicia may be placed as described in FIG. 1on the rear surfaces of both packets 12 and 14 (as oriented per FIG. 3a).

It will be appreciated that the additional material necessary to makethe hang-tag 30, such as causes the cut sheets to deviate from arectangular shape most efficiently prepared from sheet stock, can bereadily accommodated by matching mirror rotations of the blanks forproduction of the system 10 with mirror image blanks for body washingsystem 10′.

Referring now to FIG. 4, it will be understood that this concept may beextended to provide for additional sealed packets 36, 38 and 40 attachedto one or both of packets 12 and 14. In the depicted example, sealedpackets 36, 38 and 40 may each extend one third the height of packets 12or 14 and may be arranged vertically so that a common vertical edge 16′may be created with the left side (as shown) of packet 14. In this case,the hang-tag 30 may be attached to the upper periphery 18 of packet 14and the three columns formed by packet 12, packet 14, and thecombination of packets 36, 38, and 40 may be zigzag folded with packet12 folding behind packet 14 as indicated by arrow 42 to be held byadhesive 44 on the rear face of packet 12, and the collection of packets36, 38 and 40 folded in front of packet 14 and held by adhesive 45 onthe front face of packet 38.

Each of packets 36, 38, and 40 may have associated tear notches 29 toallow them to be individually opened. Indicia 20 and 21 may be placed onthe rear side of the collection of packets 36, 38 and 40 or the rearside of packet 12 or both.

Packets 36, 38, and 40 may hold, for example, towelettes 24incorporating sunscreen, insect repellent, deodorant, anti-perspirant,toothpaste, skin moisturizer, or hair conditioner. Material suitable fordry hair conditioning is described, for example, in U.S. Pat. No.4,206,195 issued Jun. 3, 1980 and hereby incorporated by reference.Particularly for the anti-perspirant, separation from the moisttowelette is required. Material suitable for a towelette holding atoothpaste material is described, for example, in U.S. Pat. No.6,721,987 issued Apr. 20, 2004 and hereby incorporated by reference.

Referring now to FIG. 5, the body washing system 10 may provide foralternative form factors including, for example, mounting packet 14above packet 12 to a share, bottom and top periphery 18 respectively. Inthis embodiment or any previous embodiment, a third towelette 24′ may beprovided with, for example, an impregnated deodorant or fragrancematerial separate from the drying towelette 26. Both towelettes 26 and24′ may be contained within the dry packet 14 or within separate packetsextending downward or sideward following the principles described above.

The embodiment of FIG. 5, as discussed above, may provide for a centerof gravity vertically aligned with the aperture 31 of the hang-tag 30within a form factor suitable for such displays. The aperture 31 in thehang-tag 30 alternatively may be enlarged beyond that necessary forretail display to permitted the body washing system 10 to hang on a coathanger, for example. as may be found in the stall of a restroom allowingthe product be used in an airport or the like where privacy is difficultto obtain. In these circumstances, the co-location of the products helpssupport the different products hygienically on the hang-tag 30 duringuse. For this purpose, a first tear notch 29 may be provided at thebottom of the body washing system 10 as suspended on the hang-tag 30providing access to packet 12 allowing the packet 14 to remain suspendedand unopened. Upon completion of the body washing operation, a secondtear notch 29′ may be used to provide access to a drying towelette inpacket 14 and a deodorant towelette positioned above that towelette.This staging of the products to exploit support by the hang-tag 30 beperformed with the other described embodiments herein.

Referring now to FIG. 6, in an alternative embodiment, the body washingsystem 10 may seal the two sheets 15 and 17 at peripheries 18 to createfour packets 12, 14, 36, and 38 with packets 12 and 14 connectedside-by-side (as disclosed above) and packets 36 and 38 connectedbeneath packets 12 and 14 respectively. All packets may be supportedbeneath an optional hang-tag 30 (in this case spanning the top edges ofboth packets 12 and 14). This embodiment allows the consumersimultaneously to see the different products incorporated into thesingle body washing system 10. The proper order of opening of thepackets may be indicated by numeric indicia 50 and/or by placing of thetear notches 29 to promote a sequential opening, for example, byproviding certain tear notches 29 at exposed edges and other tearnotches 29 at the common edges 16 accessible only after a previouspacket has been opened.

In an alternative embodiment shown, a first tear notch 29 for packet 12is placed at an outer periphery 18 of packet 12 and second tear notches29 at outer periphery 18 of packet 14 to preserve the support of thecommon edge 16 for packets 36 and 38 even after packets 12 and 14 areopen. Likewise, the tear notches 29 at outer peripheries 18 of packets38 and 36 preserve the common edge 16. This retention of the packets 12,14, 36, and 38 on a supporting backbone of common edge 16 allows them tobe pre-opened for convenience and also simplifies disposal.

Referring now to FIG. 7, it will be appreciated that the body washingsystem 10 may further include within a packet, packet 14, for example,both a towelette 24 and a secondary packet 52 independently formed fromsealed laminate. The secondary packet 52 and the packets 36, 38 and 40need not be limited to containing towelettes but may also hold gels,creams, lozenges, for example, breath mints or the like, or a trashdisposal bag.

It will be understood that the present invention may use other packagingtechniques other than the tear-packets described above, for example,sealing the packages with adhesive or a polymer zipper and/or with atear strip to permit re-sealing of one or both of the packets 12 and 14for disposal of the towelette 24 and 26 or the like.

Certain terminology is used herein this for purposes of reference only,and thus is not intended to he limiting. For example, terms such as“upper”, “lower”, “above”, and “below” refer to directions in thedrawings to which reference is made. Terms such as “from”, “back”,“rear”, “bottom” and “side”, describe the orientation of portions of thecomponent within a consistent but arbitrary frame of reference which ismade clear by reference to the text and the associated drawingsdescribing the component under discussion. Such terminology may includethe words specifically mentioned above, derivatives thereof, and wordsof similar import. Similarly, the terms “first”, “second” and other suchnumerical terms referring to structures do not imply a sequence or orderunless clearly indicated by the context.

When introducing elements or features of the present disclosure and theexemplary embodiments, the articles “a”, “an”, “the” and “said” areintended to mean that there are one or more of such elements orfeatures. The terms “comprising”, “including” and “having” are intendedto be inclusive and mean that there may be additional elements orfeatures other than those specifically noted. It is further to beunderstood that the method steps, processes, and operations describedherein are not to be construed as necessarily requiring theirperformance in the particular order discussed or illustrated, unlessspecifically identified as an order of performance. It is also to beunderstood that additional or alternative steps may be employed.

It is specifically intended that the present invention not be limited tothe embodiments and illustrations contained herein and the claims shouldbe understood to include modified forms of those embodiments includingportions of the embodiments and combinations of elements of differentembodiments as come within the scope of the following claims. All of thepublications described herein, including patents and non-patentpublications, are hereby incorporated herein by reference in theirentireties.

1. A human body washing system comprising: a first moisture impervious package openable by tearing a packaging material of the first package, and containing a moist towelette sealed therein; a second moisture impervious package attached to the first moisture impervious package, the second moisture impervious package openable by tearing the packaging material of the second package and containing a dry towelette sealed therein; and wherein the moist and dry towelettes each have an area greater than 300 square centimeters and are folded to reduce their area by at least a factor of substantially six times.
 2. The human body washing system of claim 1 wherein the moist towelette and dry towelette have substantially identical dimensions.
 3. The human body washing system of claim 1 wherein the first and second moisture impervious packages are joined by a common seam in packaging material extending between the first and second packages.
 4. The human body washing system of claim 1 wherein the packaging material is a heat-sealable polymer and foil laminate.
 5. The human body washing system of claim 1 wherein at least one of the first and second moisture impervious packages includes a third moisture impervious package sealed therein.
 6. The human body washing system of claim 5 wherein the third moisture impervious package is a heat sealable polymer and foil laminate.
 7. The human body washing system of claim 5 wherein the third moisture impervious package includes a material selected from the group consisting of a gel, a cream, and a lozenge.
 8. The human body washing system of claim 1 wherein at least one of the first and second moisture impervious packages includes a tab providing an aperture for supporting the first and second moisture impervious package on a peg.
 9. The human body washing system of claim 8 wherein the aperture is sized to receive a coat hanger of the type found in a stall of a restroom.
 10. The human body washing system of claim 1 wherein the dry towelette is treated with a drying material selected from the group consisting of a desiccant and a hydrophilic material.
 11. A human body washing system comprising: a first moisture impervious package openable by tearing a packaging material of the first package and containing a moist towelette sealed therein; a second moisture impervious package attached to the first moister impervious package, the second moisture impervious package openable by tearing the packaging material of the second package and containing a dry towelette sealed therein; and a third moisture impervious package sealed within one of the first and second moisture impervious packages.
 12. The human body washing system of claim 1 wherein the third moisture impervious package is a heat sealable polymer and foil laminate.
 13. The human body washing system of claim 1 wherein the third moisture impervious package includes a material selected from the group consisting of a gel, a cream and a lozenge.
 14. The human body washing system of claim 11 wherein the packaging material is a heat-sealable polymer and foil laminate.
 16. A human body washing system comprising: a first moisture impervious package operable by tearing a packaging material of the first package, the first moisture impervious package containing a towelette sealed therein; a second moisture impervious package attached to the first moisture impervious package, the second moisture impervious package openable by tearing the packaging material of the second package and containing sunscreen therein.
 17. The human body washing system of claim 16 wherein the towelette is substantially dry.
 18. The human body washing system of claim 16 wherein the towelette is moistened.
 19. The human body washing system of claim 16 wherein the first and second moisture impervious packages are joined by a common seam in packaging material extending between the first and second packages.
 20. The human body washing system of claim 16 wherein the packaging material is a heat-sealable polymer and foil laminate. 